Who has seen the future? Global Alliance releases study on corporate communications excellence at nine major multinationals

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, November 18, 2012 – The Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management has released a major study that reveals new insights on the management of public relations within nine major multinational companies. The study, entitled Who has seen the future?, will be presented at this week’s World Public Relations Forum in Melbourne, Australia.

The study shows that the modern global communicative organisation places stakeholders at the hub rather than at the spokes of its communication, and how this involves “more listening than talking.”Participating companies included the report’s sponsor, Enel, along with Philips, Allianz, Novo Nordisk, Petrobras, Dow Chemical, Pratt & Whitney, Coca Cola and Natura.

Highlights of the report include:

The importance of listening in the public relations process

The emerging practice of placing stakeholders at the core of PR programs

The continued value of meaningful, concrete corporate social responsibility, corporate social investment and sustainability programs

The growing commitment to engage via social media to facilitate dialogue and support reputation

A continued emphasis on the ethical practice of public relations as a key to enduring success

The report also analyses the relevance of public relations core competencies that are measured by accreditation processes such as the APR and ABC designations to corporate criteria for high performance in external relations.

The study was authored by two past chairs of the Global Alliance, Jean Valin APR, Fellow CPRS, and John Paluszek APR, Fellow PRSA.

“‘Who has seen the future?’ is both a compelling read and a provocative question, not just for communicators, but for leaders of organizations everywhere,” said Global Alliance chair Daniel Tisch. “The study aligns with the themes of the World Public Relations Forum: how organizations define their characters, build cultures of listening and engagement, and pursue their responsibilities to stakeholders and society in an era of communication without borders.”

The study also looks deeply at how five of the companies have tackled the many challenges of today's social media-dominated environment, including how to align communications activities across continents, and how CSR is a ‘way of life’ in successful organizations. Moreover, it explores the critical role played by an open and transparent corporate culture in achieving goals and objectives, and in facilitating change. The other companies were singled out for best practices in several areas of public relations and communication management.